Commentaria in Judices
Chapter 5. Synopsis of the Chapter
Debbora with Barac, Sisara being laid low, sings a song of victory.
This canticle savours not only of the poetic but also of the prophetic spirit; wherefore it seems composed by the prophetess Debbora, who then sang it publicly with Barac. So Abulensis, Dionysius, Arias, Cajetan, Serarius, Salianus and others.
It has five parts: the first, verse 3, praises God as the first author of so great a victory; the second, verse 9, praises the Nephtalites, Zabulonites, Issacharites and others, and all the creatures which co-operated with God in the victory; the third, verse 11, blames the Galaadites, Danites and others, who withdrew from this war through fear of Sisara; the fourth, verse 24, blesses Jahel, who slew Sisara; the fifth, verse 28, poetically represents the wailing of Sisara’s mother.
1. Then Debbora and Barac the son of Abinoem sung in that day, saying: 2. You that of your own good will offered your lives to danger, bless ye the Lord. 3. Hear, O ye kings, give ear, ye princes: it is I, it is I, that will sing to the Lord, I will sing to the Lord the God of Israel. 4. O Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, and passedst by the regions of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens and clouds dropped water. 5. The mountains melted before the Lord, and Sinai before the Lord the God of Israel. 6. In the days of Samgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jahel, the paths rested, and they that went by them walked by bye ways. 7. The valiant men ceased, and rested in Israel: until Debbora arose, a mother arose in Israel. 8. The Lord chose new wars, and he himself overthrew the gates of the enemies: a shield and spear was not seen among forty thousand of Israel. 9. My heart loveth the princes of Israel: you that of your own good will offered yourselves to danger, bless the Lord. 10. Speak, you that ride upon fair asses, and sit in judgment, and walk in the way. 11. Where the chariots were dashed together, and the army of the enemies was choked, there let the justices of the Lord be rehearsed, and his clemency towards the brave men of Israel: then the people of the Lord went down to the gates, and obtained the sovereignty. 12. Arise, arise, O Debbora, arise, arise, and utter a canticle. Arise, Barac, and take hold of thy captives, O son of Abinoem. 13. The remnants of the people are saved, the Lord hath fought among the valiant ones. 14. Out of Ephraim he destroyed them into Amalec, and after him out of Benjamin into thy people, O Amalec: out of Machir there came down princes, and out of Zabulon they that led the army to fight. 15. The captains of Issachar were with Debbora, and followed the steps of Barac, who threw himself headlong into danger, as one that goeth into a pit. Ruben being divided against himself, there was found strife of stout-hearted men. 16. Why dwellest thou between two borders, that thou mayest hear the bleatings of the flocks? Ruben being divided against himself, there was found strife of stout-hearted men. 17. Galaad rested beyond the Jordan, and Dan was intent on his ships: Aser dwelt on the sea shore, and abode in the havens. 18. But Zabulon and Nephtali devoted their lives to death in the region of Merome. 19. The kings came and fought, the kings of Chanaan fought in Thanach by the waters of Mageddo, and yet they carried off no prey. 20. From heaven war was made against them: the stars remaining in their order and courses fought against Sisara. 21. The torrent of Cison dragged away their carcasses, the torrent of Cadumim, the torrent of Cison. Tread thou, my soul, upon the strong ones. 22. The hoofs of the horses fell, while the stoutest of the enemies fled amain, and tumbled one over another headlong. 23. Curse ye the land of Meroz, said the angel of the Lord: curse the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the Lord, to help his most valiant men. 24. Blessed among women be Jahel the wife of Haber the Cinite, and blessed be she in her tent. 25. Water he asked her, and she gave him milk, and in a dish fit for princes she offered butter. 26. She put her left hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammers: and she struck Sisara, seeking in his head a place for the wound, and strongly piercing his temples. 27. At her feet he fell, he fainted, and he died: he rolled before her feet, and lay lifeless and wretched. 28. His mother looked out at a window, and howled: and she spoke from the dining room: Why is his chariot so long in coming back? why are the feet of his horses so slow? 29. One that was wiser than the rest of his wives, returned this answer to her mother-in-law: 30. Perhaps he is now dividing the spoils, and the fairest of the women is chosen out for him: garments of divers colours are given to Sisara for his prey, and furniture of different kinds is gathered together to adorn necks. 31. So let all thy enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love thee shine, as the sun shineth in his rising. And the land rested for forty years.
2. YOU THAT OF YOUR OWN GOOD WILL OFFERED YOUR LIVES TO DANGER (going to the dreadful battle against the most powerful Sisara), BLESS YE THE LORD,—who gave us this illustrious victory over Sisara. In Hebrew it is bipheroa peraoth, which first Pagninus, Cajetan, Arias and others render, while vengeances are avenged in Israel, while the people willingly offers itself, bless ye the Lord. So the Complutensian. But the Roman Codices and the Septuagint have, a revelation was revealed in Israel, while the people willingly offered itself, bless ye the Lord.
The Chaldee in his manner paraphrastically: “When the house of Israel rebelled, nations came upon them, and drove them out of their cities; and when they returned to do the law, they were strengthened over them: so for vengeance Zizzara was broken, and for the sign and deliverance that was wrought for Israel,” etc.
Genuinely, however, you may render from the Hebrew thus: In freeing the freed ones in Israel, in the people willingly offering itself, that is, you who freed and fully restored Israel to liberty, willingly offering yourselves to the contest with Sisara: “Bless ye the Lord,” who made you triumph over him. For the Hebrew para signifies to make bare, to loose, to free.
3. HEAR, O YE KINGS,—these wonderful battles of God, that you may acknowledge, fear and worship Him.
Tropologically Origen, hom. 6: “Exult, people of God, hearing the ensigns of thy nobility. Thou art called to hear the word of God, and not as a commoner, but as a king art thou called. For to thee it is said: A kingly and priestly race, a people for a possession. Therefore because you are kings, rightly our King Christ the Lord is called King of kings, and Lord of lords.” He then teaches the way in which you become a king: “He makes thee king of all things, if Christ reign in thee. For king (rex) is named from ruling (regendo). If, then, thou put the lusts of the flesh under the yoke of thy command, if thou press the nations of vices with the tighter bridles of thy sobriety, rightly shalt thou be called king, who knowest how to rule thyself aright. When, therefore, thou hast become such, worthily as a king shalt thou be called to hear the divine words.”
4. O LORD, WHEN THOU WENTEST OUT OF SEIR, AND PASSEDST BY THE REGIONS OF EDOM, THE EARTH TREMBLED, AND THE HEAVENS AND CLOUDS DROPPED WATER,—Seir is the same as Edom, namely Esau, who, dwelling in Idumea, gave it his name.
5. THE MOUNTAINS MELTED BEFORE THE LORD, AND SINAI BEFORE THE LORD THE GOD OF ISRAEL.
signifies, that is, for only in Sinai do we read of lightnings, thunders, rains, earthquakes seen. See what was said on Exodus 19:18. Hence by poetic elegance the mountains are said to have melted, because Mount Sinai, smoking, and as it were trembling from reverence and fear of God giving the law there, seemed to Moses and the Hebrews to flee, to dissolve and to liquefy. It is a catachresis: the same phrase is in Psalm 67, verse 9, which is taken from this place.
It alludes to Num. 10:35, where Moses, when the camp was to be moved, prayed to the Lord sitting upon the ark in the propitiatory: “Arise, O Lord, and let thy enemies be scattered”; and Deut. chap. 33:2: “The Lord came from Sinai, and from Seir he rose up to us.” See what was said there.